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Archive for July, 2007

I was a HUGE FAN of Tom Snyder! Rarely did I miss his Show because Tom had that aire of bombastic egoism, fairness, entertainment, insecurity, humor, and he always had a cigarette in his hand as he gave some of the BEST INTERVIEWS ever!

One night Tom said that …”the only people that stay up to watch this Show are insomniacs, drunks, and wackos!” Well, he was right ~ and I was one of them.

Tom Snyder rarely took himself seriously, although he was the consummate Professional. He had a great Mind that probed his Guests in a gentle, thoughtful, and Kind manner; always hoping to get his Guests to share with his audience a peek into their souls and their Real Selves.

His Laugh made you laugh; his eyebrows spoke as much as his mouth; and he had a sensitivity that was rare then, and even more rarer today.

SAN FRANCISCO – Bill Walsh, the groundbreaking football coach who won three Super Bowls and perfected the ingenious schemes that became known as the West Coast offense during a Hall of Fame career with the San Francisco 49ers, has died. He was 75.

Walsh died early Monday following a long battle with leukemia, according to Stanford University, where he served as coach and athletic director.

****

This morning when I awoke I was rocked when I learned of the ‘Passing’ of Tom Snyder. Then just now I learned that Bill Walsh, too, had ‘Passed’.

Bill Walsh came on the 49er Football scene around the time I came to the San Francisco Bay Area. And I recall right before he coached the 49ers: they stunk to high heaven! Hell, people would offer to GIVE me tickets to a 49er Game and I’d refuse; that’s how ugly the 49er Football Team was BEFORE Bill Walsh!

Oh, I’ll ALWAYS bleed Cleveland Brown colors; but over the years I’ve adopted a LOVE for both Bay Area Teams (49ers & Raiders) ~ with a fondness for the 49ers outshining that for the boys in Silver & Black. So with a deep sadness in my heart, I mourn the ‘Passing’ of this great Football Coach and Man.

Years ago I read the above verse in a book I had been reading and musing over. At the time, my Mind was overly focused on ‘things’ I had wished I could no longer dwell on. Anyway, I mention this because I find myself today overly Concerned about ‘things’ and Issues that in the long haul bears little to my Personal Life.

Take for example this Michael Vick or Barry Bonds ‘stuff’ I commented on recently. Sure, it upsets me when I hear SO MANY people tear down these two individuals ~ but really, if people choose to get riled up ~ and in Bond’s Case ruin the thrill of experiencing something they may NEVER experience again in LIFE (Home Run Record) ~ that’s not ‘my burden’, but theirs!

And I can draw similar examples from a plethora of Issues facing our World, Country and Community. In other words:

I must CONSTANTLY be aware that EXTERNAL THINGS have a tendency to rob one’s Soul of the “Peace” needed to truly Enjoy Life!! And not only that:

we must ‘All’ teach our Soul to ‘stand on its own two feet’, and not useEXTERNALS as an EXCUSE to delay the Work each of us KNOWS needs be attended to. For only then can that Glorious Peace be archived in our Lives.

“First comes WORK. Then only after that …. does Faith come about!”

See. Most People operate under the assumption that mere ‘Lip Service’ automatically conveys ‘Faith’ WITHOUT them doing the necessary WORK demanded by one’s Soul! That’s why it’s easy to show up for Church, yet soon after fall into the Bad Habits that have for YEARS retarded and stunted one’s ‘Spiritual Growth’!

Why, too, most people leave their Religion at the Church steps:

Spiritual Work has not been attended to!

And what that WORK is, only each Individual KNOWS the dictate of one’s heart. For some, it may be only performing more in the way of Charity; for others, it may be to Serve more to others; while to many … the WORK may consist of being Kinder, more Loving, or more Disciplined. But the end results are always the same:

I haven’t rushed out to buy the latest (and last) ‘Harry Potter’ book ~ right now I’m committed to finish reading “Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell” <g> ~ but it interests me ‘why’ Fans hate to see the saga end.

Some epics truly do need to end. Some sagas actually do cry out to End. Still, when you read the ‘Final Chapters’ of a book and Story you LOVE …. it’s like saying goodbye to an old Friend.

TIMING is everything; and recall that most of Harry’s Tale took place during our ‘Age of Terrorism’ let loose in the world, didn’t it. So it was always a welcomed relief to escape into the World of Witches & Wizards. It was better to deal with Voldemort and his Death Eaters than bin Laden and al Qaeda, wasn’t it. But the appeal of ‘Harry Potter’ was deeper than its TIMING on the book shelves ~ it had more to do with recapturing the appeal of our cherished Childhood Memories and Childhood Imaginings, where magic WAS real …. and we were limited to only our unlimited children’s view of the world.

But all good things must come to an End. And I KNOW that when I open thefirst pages of the last ‘Harry Potter’ book …. a certain sadness will be sitting on my shoulder all the while.

NEW YORK – The FBI is investigating allegations that a veteran NBA referee bet on basketball games over the past two seasons, including ones in which he officiated.

According to a law enforcement official, authorities are examining whether the referee, identified by CBS Sportsline and ESPN as Tim Donaghy, made calls to affect the point spread in games on which he or associates had wagered.

The law enforcement official, who spoke to the AP on Friday on condition of anonymity, said the referee was aware of the investigation and had made arrangements to surrender as early as next week to face charges. The official, who did not identify the referee, is familiar with the investigation but was not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing investigation.

The law enforcement official said the bets involved thousands of dollars and were made on games during the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons.

The NBA issued a brief statement Friday: “We have been asked by the FBI, with whom we are working closely, not to comment on this matter at this time.”

The FBI probe, which began recently, also involves allegations that the referee had connections to organized crime associates. Other arrests are expected, the official said.

The referee had a gambling problem, according to the official, and was approached by low-level mob associates through an acquaintance.

The investigation first was reported Friday by the New York Post.

“I’m shocked, terribly shocked,” said Gary Benson, NBA official for 17 years, who retired two years ago because of knee problems. “Those are people that you work with and that you literally — you spend more time with those people than you do with your family.”

Nevada gambling regulators were not involved in an investigation and had no information about the allegations, said Jerry Markling, enforcement chief for the state Gaming Commission and Gaming Control Board.

Markling, in Las Vegas, said he learned of the probe from news accounts.

“The allegations were new to us,” said Mark Clayton, a control board member. “However, we will continue to monitor them to ascertain whether there is any connection to Nevada’s licensed sports books.”

Veteran oddsmaker John Avello, at the Wynn resort on the Las Vegas Strip, said that without specific information it would be difficult to identify wagering irregularities over the last two seasons.

“At this point, it’s too early to know if any games were affected,” Avello said, adding that no regulators or investigators had contacted him about the case.

Jay Kornegay, executive director of the sports book at the Las Vegas Hilton, said he had never seen any unusual activity in NBA betting, and was surprised not to have heard about an investigation until Friday.

“Whispers would have happened on the street, and we would have heard something,” Kornegay said. “Any type of suspicious or unusual movements, you usually hear in the industry. We’re so regulated and policed, any kind of suspicion would be discussed.

“We haven’t seen anything like that in the NBA that I can remember,” he said, “and we haven’t been contacted by anybody.”

Kornegay said legal sports betting in Nevada represents a fraction of sports betting worldwide, with 98.5 percent of all action taken outside the state. Clayton cited a 2005 estimate by the National Gambling Impact Study Commission that found $380 billion is wagered on illegal sports betting, compared with $2.25 billion in legal sports betting in Nevada.

Gambling long has been a problem in sports, and leagues have made a point of educating players of the potential pitfalls. The NBA, for example, discusses gambling at rookie orientation, even bringing in former mobster Michael Franceze to speak.

NBA commissioner David Stern had long objected to putting a team in Las Vegas because it permits betting on basketball, though earlier this year allowed Mayor Oscar Goodman to submit a proposal to owners on how the city would handle wagering on a team if it moved there.

“We’re the only regulatory agency in the world that really looks at unusual activity as far as the movement of the line and that type of conduct,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing that Las Vegas has the type of regulation that makes sure that bad things don’t happen.”

___

***********************

As a follow-up to my Entry re how Black Athletes are TRASHED far greater than their White counterparts ~ TODAY the Big News in Sports is how an NBA REFEREE ~ a frickin’ referee ~ has allegedly been cited for BETTING on Games, many that he officiated!

This is HUGE!!

With this type of allegation, an entire Professional Sports League is now at RISK of going the route of professional wrestling!

THIS STORY should be ‘front and center’ on EVERY Sports Radio ‘Talk Show’; completely wiping Barry Bonds and Michael Vick off the map!!

See. This NBA Referee accused of BETTING on NBA Games is WHITE, don’t ya understand. Therefore, for all these Sports radio ‘Talk Hosts’ and pundits its kinda hard to get a ‘hard on’ when the BAD GUY ‘LOOKS’ liike you, huh White Media.

If I’m lying ~ just follow this WHAT SHOULD BE a huge Story, then tell me I’m all wrong when I express my angst at how the mostly White Media acts blind to the failings of their own boys …. yet are quick to grab a rope and sheet when it comes to Brothas!

From Blood Money to Bragging Rights, Dogfighting Is More Popular Than You Might Think

(AP Photo)

By BRITTANY BACONJuly 19, 2007

A makeshift ring is surrounded by dozens or even hundreds of screaming “fans” waving betting cash. Inside, two severely abused dogs tear each other literally limb from limb in a life-or-death battle that experts say is becoming disturbingly common in the United States.

Atlanta Falcon star quarterback Michael Vick’s indictment for allegedly operating a dogfighting ring has shone a spotlight on one of the cruelest criminal “sports” in the United States.

Some have made a career out of dogfighting, which can be a lucrative pastime, with millions of dollars changing hands among the estimated 20,000 to 40,000 dogfight spectators and participants in the United States.

Others seem to be seeking an outlet for their own violent or antisocial behavior — or they look to the dogs as status symbols or reflections of their own perceived toughness, experts say.

While dogfighting is a federal crime, many experts say that state laws, which are usually used to prosecute cases, are just not strict enough to shut the industry down.

Anti-animal cruelty advocates say that while the ongoing Vick investigation has called needed attention to a widespread problem, a number of factors contribute to the growing popularity of dogfighting — including laws that vary in severity from state to state, the difficulty of investigating the crime, what some say is the media’s under-reporting of this criminal activity, and an overall lack of education about the issue.

A Dog Beats Dog WorldP.J. Smith of the Atlanta Humane Society characterizes dogfighting as two canines, usually pitbulls, attacking each other inside a ring, with the outcome wagered on by spectators.

Anti-cruelty experts say the fights can last anywhere from 20 minutes to 10 hours, depending on how long it takes for one dog to die or become simply too weak to continue. At the lowest level, experts said $50,000-$60,000 is at stake, while a more sophisticated game has payoffs close to $1 million.

The rearing process for fighting dogs seems about as ugly as the event itself.

The breeders, who have usually stolen the animals or adopted them from shelters, train the puppies to be aggressive and violent toward other dogs. They are kept chained and locked in crowded cages, far away enough not to kill each other, but close enough to put them in a constant state of agitation, said Smith.

Sometimes they use dolls to aggravate the dogs, or steal other people’s dogs from their own backyards to use as “bait” in the training, she said. The conditioning also includes steroid injections, and hours running on a treadmill or tied to the bumper of a moving car.

*************

Maybe it’s just me.

Maybe it’s because I’m a Black Male.

Maybe it’s because I view Athletes only for what they do ‘BetweenThe Lines’ and could care less about their lives ‘Outside The Lines’.

I say all this because after now having ENDURED damn near 2 YEARS of “Barry Bonds” HATING ~ as if he were the 20thhijacker on 911 ~ and now this ‘Michael Vick‘ tar & feathering …… I’ve come to the conclusion that deep, DEEP, in the hearts, guts, and brains of mostly ‘White Males’, there STILL exists this animosity and primal (damn near Neanderthal) racial HATRED toward High Priced Athletes of Color! And I say this because you’ll never see White Male Athletes dragged through the mud and PUBLICLY Lynched and made RUINED to the extent as you see Brothas.

NEVER!!

Babe Ruth was a DRUNK; Ty Cobb was a virile and open Racist; Wayne Gretzky ( and wife) was no doubt ‘fast and loose’ with the money; Mark McGwire put needles in his ass with the full knowledge of adoring White Male sportwriters covering his remarkable year; Bret Favre is a ‘Dope Head’ and alcoholic; John Daly OBVIOUSLY abused his wife (yet there he was today participating in the British Open ~ hassle free) and on-and-on-and-on ….. yet these same White Sportswriters that “no big deal” it when it comes to the failings of White Athletes, are the same that stand eager and ready to LYNCH Blacks at the slightest hint of impropriety and Falling From Grace!

You know what: If I were a White Male that carried around with me THIS MUCH ‘HATE’ toward Black Athletes, hell I wouldn’t attend Professional Games nor watch it on TV!

If Black Athletes were truly this BAD and such awful Role Models for your kids, White Males, then simply have your little ‘crumb snatchers’ play only soccer (stay away from competing with Mexican kids though), or tennis (not too many Blakes or William Sisters around), or Golf (not too many Tiger Woods out there either). That way you and your precious innocent children won’t have to COMPETE with Black Males on an Equal Playing Field~ you know …. just as y’all do in the Business World!

Hell, I’ve heard more intense OUTRAGE over the alleged failings of these 3 Brothers than any criticism of George Bush ~ and Bush is responsible for killing THOUSANDS!

This latest Brotha that White America wants to LYNCH (Vick) has been targeted by these White Sportswriters for YEARS now: but it ain’t about ‘Dog Fights’ ~ not really. Its about the color of Vicks’s skin and the fact he dare play the position of QB in the NFL!!

It’s no more about ‘Dog Fighting’ (which BTW has occurred in this country longer than most who read this Blog are themselves ‘years old’), then ‘steroid use’ is the so-called SIN (??) that these sad ‘White Sportswriters’ hang around the neck of Barry Bonds.

And how about these so-called “Baseball Purists” (again WHITE), that bitch and moan how Bonds is ruining the Game and should have an asterisk placed beside his Home Run Records.

Baseball!

A Game that wouldn’t allow a Black Man near the Park until Jackie Robinson came along and ATE all kinds of indignities and humiliations …. not too very long ago! Yet to listen to these Sportswriters and so-called ‘Baseball Purists’ one would think that all that has ever been wrong with Baseball is Barry Bonds fault!

What a frickin‘ JOKE!!

Nothin‘ but EXCUSES to Lynch another ‘uppity nigga‘!

OJwasfound “Not Guilty” in a Court of Law …..

The Feds have yet to indict Barry Bonds after 3 YEARS ……

And MichealVick’sday in court has yet to take place; yet in the arena of ‘Public Opinion’ (White Public Opinion, I might add), none of the above were ever given the DECENCY & Right of being accorded the so-called cherished Constitutional Pillar of :

“Assumed INNOCENT until PROVEN guilty!”

Oh, well. I’ve witnessed TWO Public Lynchings (Simpson and Bonds); so what’s a third, huh!

Rugged American individualism could hinder our ability to understand other peoples’ point of view, a new study suggests.

And in contrast, the researchers found that Chinese are more skilled at understanding other people’s perspectives, possibly because they live in a more “collectivist” society.

“This cultural difference affects the way we communicate,” said study co-author and cognitive psychologist BoazKeysar of the University of Chicago.

Simple study

The study, though oversimplified compared to real life, was instructive. Keysar and his colleagues arranged two blocks on a table so participants could see both. However, a piece of cardboard obstructed the view of one block so a “director,” sitting across from the participant, could only see one block.

When the director asked 20 American participants (none of Asian descent) to move a block, most were confused as to which block to move and did not take into account the director’s perspective. Even though they could have deduced that, from the director’s seat, only one block was on the table.

Most of the 20 Chinese participants, however, were not confused by the hidden block and knew exactly which block the director was referring to. While following directions was relatively simple for the Chinese, it took Americans twice as long to move a block.

“That strong, egocentric communication of Westerners was nonexistent when we looked at Chinese,” Keysar said. “The Chinese were very much able to put themselves in the shoes of another when they were communicating.”

The results are detailed in the July issue of the journal Psychological Science.

Collectivist societies, such as the Chinese, place more value on the needs of the group and less on the autonomy of the individual. In these societies, understanding other peoples’ experiences is a more critical social skill than it is among typically more individualist Americans.

Gross oversimplification

“Of course, these are very gross oversimplifications,” said Keysar. “Even in America, you can find collectivist societies. For example, working class people tend to be much more collective.”

Psychologists at Hokkaido University in Japan have found that Japanese gaze at the shape of a person’s eyes, while Americans focus on the mouth. When people from the two cultures interact, these crisscrossed sightlines can lead to miscommunication.

“We all know people from different cultures are different. This is not new. But what research is now showing is how they’re different and what are the implications,” Keysar told LiveScience. “If we are aware of how we think differently, this can go a long way toward not allowing these differences to get in the way of reaching mutual understanding.”

FINALLY, an Article that condenses what I’ve held to be the crux of the ‘Major Problems’ Americans have in Understanding the World in which they live:

Perspective!

And not only Internationally either: but differences in Perspective is at the root of Racial Relations in this country as well.

You can even run this ‘Differing In Perspective’ idea between Men & Women!

Intended, or not, but this Issue was at the crux of Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”. After all, Hobbits believed that they were Middle Earth’s greatest thing since sliced bread …. as too did Elves, Men, and even dwarves. But in the end, the Enemy (Sauron and his minions) could not be adequately addressed until those Groups WENT BEYOND their Narrow PERSPECTIVES and reached out towards one another, is that not correct?

See. That’s why I ALWAYS encourage Young People to go to college; because this is one opportunity for a person to escape from the parochial upbringing of their childhood and expand one’s Perspective about another’s gender, country, Race, political proclivities, and even Religious Beliefs. In fact, I owe MOST of my current Perspectives re how I perceive the world …. back to my leaving my small Ohio Hometown and attending a 4 year college (Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio ~ a predominately Black University). For had I not attended a Black University at the tender age of 18 …. I probably would have reached adulthood and had a developed ‘mind set’ comparable to that of Uncle Thomas, Aunty Rice and Step N’Fetchit Powell! : )

See. A ‘Narrow Perspective’ severely limits one’s ability to think ‘outside the box’. And Societly speaking, this is of a far greater danger than mere attitudes of prejudice or hate ~ because by Limiting Our Perspectives we can’t even begin to THINK in ways to Resolve the critical Issues facing Mankind in the Twenty-first Century.

We can no longer even begin to ‘THINK’ ~ in this context meaning to at least open the channels of our expanded Perspectives ~ in order to change sufficiently to meet the New Demands of TODAY.

Hell. We, as a People, are so locked into “Old Twentieth Century Thinking” that we are completely unable to Decide on how best to End a War in Iraq; or trip over ourselves with “Gosh …. if we Impeach George Bush, who I KNOW has broken Laws: what will we do then with al Qaeda and those IslamoFaschist running loose everywhere??” ideas; or even entertain such thoughts as, “Can a Woman or Black really run the country?”.

And lawd knows when it comes to the NEED for some kind of National Health Insurance; or Immigration; or even Quality of Life Issues?????

Hell. “Dating Services” have become a muti-Million Dollar business because Men & Women don’t even know how to RELATE and/or correctly PERCEIVE how the Opposite Sex THINKS today!

WE’re stuck!

Stuck as a bug in a rug!

Let me offer a suggestion, since all the ‘Self Improvement Books’ and TV watching gets us nowhere, okay!

Go take a WALK in the Deep Woods. While there, Reflect on how YOU perceive the World (and the People in it); and also Examine YOUR current THOUGHTS about same …. and where (or how) YOU first acquired these Perspectives.

Don’t form any Value Judgments or Defend the way you FEEL about YOUR ATTITUDES ….. just Reflect on these perspectives.

Now LISTEN to the sounds of the Deep Wood that is all around YOU.

Marvel at the ‘Sights’; FEEL the wind and shafts of sunlight on YOUR skin and moving through YOUR hair ~ as if YOUR God is walking right next to YOU. In YOUR Heart, ask YOUR GOD simply:

“Can I expand my THINKING and ATTITUDE about the things I currently hold dear ….. in ways that are more closely aligned to the Ways that you, God, want ME to? And if so: HOW?”

That’s the First Step, baby!

And you know what: if YOU’RE Sincere about Growth, then the Answer (and Means) to YOUR QUESTION will be made available to YOU in ways that will be KNOWN!

Observing the latest News Cycle, particularly as presented on the Cable News networks, I’m reminded of a prediction I made during the “OJ Simpson” saga. I said then:

“America will rue the day, that they’ve allowed the Media to get ‘foot loose’ and lazy with the FACTS!”

TODAY, the Media has again fallen back on their tried and true strategy of laziness, cheap tricks, and in a sense …. doing the White House bidding with regard TERRORISM. Each day they bombard the American Public with “This summer al Qaeda plans on attacking the United States” or ” al Qaeda Operatives are now recruiting young people in the United States to spread violence” or “Sources have told CNN that an attack by al Qaeda is imminent in the United States this summer“!

And of course, at the end of their ‘Scare & Fear Mongering’ ~ complete with 6 year old File Tapes of al Qaeda training camps ~ the BEST they can come up with is:

“Homeland Security advises Americans to remain VIGILANT!”

???

Now, I have my opinion as to ‘why’ the Media feels the need to act so reckless and irresponsibly ( try laziness, un-professionalism, advancing a Political Agenda, appealing to the people’s Emotions rather than their BRAINS); but as a Wise Sage once advised:

“A Brave Soul only dies once, while a coward dies a THOUSAND times!”

I KNOW to be TRUE …. that most people Believe whatever they see in ‘print’ or see on the ‘boob tube’. That’s why the so-called “Fourth Estate” has performed so shamelessly over the past 20 years or so. The Media’s shameless disregard for FACTS & Journalistic Ethics &Integrity will forever tarnish ANYTHING they attempt to do far into the future.

Hell: 90% of those Clowns you see on CNN, MSNBC, FOX, and even the Networks ~ are NOT Journalists but Entertainers, baby!

Sensationalist and ‘Rating Whores’ are all these people are, baby! And if by chance the FACTS somehow get into their Coverage ~ well then hell, even a broken clock is right at least twice a day!!

Observing the latest News Cycle, particularly as presented on the Cable News networks, I’m reminded of a prediction I made during the “OJ Simpson” saga. I said then:

“America will rue the day, that they’ve allowed the Media to get ‘foot loose’ and lazy with the FACTS!”

TODAY, the Media has again fallen back on their tried and true strategy of laziness, cheap tricks, and in a sense …. doing the White House bidding with regard TERRORISM. Each day they bombard the American Public with “This summer al Qaeda plans on attacking the United States” or ” al Qaeda Operatives are now recruiting young people in the United States to spread violence” or “Sources have told CNN that an attack by al Qaeda is imminent in the United States this summer“!

And of course, at the end of their ‘Scare & Fear Mongering’ ~ complete with 6 year old File Tapes of al Qaeda training camps ~ the BEST they can come up with is:

“Homeland Security advises Americans to remain VIGILANT!”

???

Now, I have my opinion as to ‘why’ the Media feels the need to act so reckless and irresponsibly ( try laziness, un-professionalism, advancing a Political Agenda, appealing to the people’s Emotions rather than their BRAINS); but as a Wise Sage once advised:

“A Brave Soul only dies once, while a coward dies a THOUSAND times!”

I KNOW to be TRUE …. that most people Believe whatever they see in ‘print’ or see on the ‘boob tube’. That’s why the so-called “Fourth Estate” has performed so shamelessly over the past 20 years or so. The Media’s shameless disregard for FACTS & Journalistic Ethics &Integrity will forever tarnish ANYTHING they attempt to do far into the future.

Hell: 90% of those Clowns you see on CNN, MSNBC, FOX, and even the Networks ~ are NOT Journalists but Entertainers, baby!

Sensationalist and ‘Rating Whores’ are all these people are, baby! And if by chance the FACTS somehow get into their Coverage ~ well then hell, even a broken clock is right at least twice a day!!

First of all, allow me to say that yesterday at the movie my FAVORITE MOMENT was when the theatre showed the ‘Coming Attractions’ of the Film “The Golden Compass“.

That’s right, baby! Book #1 of Phillip Pullman’s trilogy entitled “His Dark Materials” will be Released this December.

Anyway. : )

I’m a HUGE Fan of the entire ‘Harry Potter’ genre (Books & Film). But when I left the theatre after viewing the latest ‘Potter’ film (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix“), I was saddened in that THEATRICALLY ….. to me the MAGIC is gone. : (

Hell! That kid that plays the Role of Ron should have been dropped Long Ago! : )

Obviously he’s bored ~ and I’m bored with him! : )

Now don’t get me wrong: the Film was quite good. The cinematography was excellent; the Special Effects were magnificent; and generally the Film outlined the BOOK quite well …. but there is the rub ~ the Film was just an OUTLINE of the BOOK!

But the sin of the movie goes deeper than that to me. To me, the ‘Potter Films’ of late have grown to show the characters as mere caricatures of their ‘former selves’! Snape, Dumbledor, Ron, and damn near everyone, save Harry, are shadows of their former selves. And after all, isn’t Fantasy all about the growth and development of CHARACTERS?

In this Film, Hogwarts et. al. are reduced to mere Background settings on which the protagonist (Harry) and antagonist (Lord Voldemort) prepare for mortal battle. Which is OK to wet the audience appetite for Ms. Rowlings ‘Final Book’ to be Released soon; but being that I’m a suspicious creature <g>, perhaps that’s what the TEAM POTTER enterprises had in mind all along with this movie, ya think! : )

Hey! There IS supposed to be a movie made of BOOK 6, “The Half Blood Prince“, isn’t there? So Lawd only knows how that next Film will be marginalized and void of Characterization even more ~ since by that time the world would have already known how the Tale ends, huh!

Again. You won’t feel cheated with this latest Film. But like I previously stated: it’s only an OUTLINE of the BOOK. A skeleton absent significant meat and sinew.